Strange Olympic sports; a train for a tent; and, an aisle for men…
• We start this week with a quick look at 10 of the weirdest Olympic sports:
1. Club swinging: An artistic gymnastics event, it was only ever held at the 1904 Olympics in St Louis.
2. Tug-of-War: This was contested at all five Games between 1900 and 1920 and was contested as part of the athletics.
3. Jeu de paume: Included in the 1908 Games in London, jeu de paume is said to be a precursor of modern tennis.
4. Solo synchronised swimming: Introduced in 1984, it was cast out in 1992 and the mystery of how a single swimmer can “synchronise” remains.
5. Live pigeon shooting: Only held at the 1900 Olympics in Paris. As many as 300 birds were involved.
6. Long jump for horses: Another event only held in the 1900 Olympics.
7. Rope climbing: Held in several Olympics from 1896 to 1932, this involved pulling yourself to the top of the rope.
8. Swimming obstacle course: Another held at the 1900 Olympics, the event saw competitors climb over a pole and a row of boats before swimming under another row of boats.
9. Power boating: Only ever held at the 1908 Olympics in London, it included three separate events.
10. Tandem bicycle sprint: Introduced at the Intercalcated Games of 1906, it survived until 1972 in Munich.
And a couple of unofficial events worth mentioning - fire-fighting and cannon shooting, both demonstration sports at the 1900 Olympics in Paris, roller hockey, a demonstration sport at Barcelona in 1992, and pistol duelling, only ever held at the Intercalcated Games of 1906.
• Fancy a new tent? What about sleeping in a London Underground train? Online shop Firebox has released a tent shaped like a Tube train which can, it says, sleep up to 72 people (although it says the tent - priced at £1999.99 - can “comfortably sleep” 16 over five separate compartments). Just make sure you mind the gap when you step inside and whatever you do, don’t make eye contact with anyone.
• A New York supermarket has reportedly introduced a men’s aisle which features items, like Doritos and steak sauce, which are apparently particularly attractive to men. The store introduced the new aisle after a study showed the number of men shopping had risen significantly over the past 30 years.